The Doctors TV Show: Tip Toe Walking: Sign of Autism & Cerebral Palsy

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The Doctors TV Show was focused on the topic of “Secrets Your Feet Tell About Your Health.” One of the topics that The Drs TV Show spoke about was children who do “Toe Walking” which is where they walk on the tips of their toes. If your child walks on his or her tiptoes, is it a sign of something more serious?

The Doctors: Toe Walking

The Doctors had a woman on the phone named Sarah who has a 3 year old daughter named Jordan who walks on her tiptoes. At first, Sarah thought it was super cute that her daughter walked on her toes, but now she wants to make sure that it is not something that she should be more worried about. Dr Jim Sears asked if she can walk Flat Footed as well, and Sarah said yes – which is a good sign. Dr Sears said that usually children first learn how to walk on their toes, but generally by the age of 2 they outgrow it. The kids that we worry about are the ones who literally cannot walk on their heels because their calf muscle might be too tight.

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The Doctors: Tip Toe Walking Can Mean Autism & Cerebral Palsy

The Doctors said that Autism and Cerebral Palsy also can cause children to walk on their tiptoes, so you need to ask if your child is a good talker, if he / she makes good eye contact, and if he / she is acting in a developmentally (age) appropriate way in social situations.

Tip Toe Walking should go away by the age of 7, but definitely mention it to your doctor to make sure it nothing more serious. You can also do things like to encourage your child to stretch their calf muscles or massage their calves. You can also talk to a Pediatric Podiatrist about getting orthotics made for your child’s shoes.